आचार्योऽरणिराद्य: स्यादन्तेवास्युत्तरारणि: । तत्सन्धानं प्रवचनं विद्यासन्धि: सुखावह: ॥ १२ ॥
ācāryo ’raṇir ādyaḥ syād ante-vāsy uttarāraṇiḥ tat-sandhānaṁ pravacanaṁ vidyā-sandhiḥ sukhāvahaḥ
- ācāryaḥ
- the spiritual master
- araṇiḥ
- sacred kindling wood used in the sacrificial fire
- ādyaḥ
- held beneath
- syāt
- is to be considered
- ante-vāsī
- the disciple
- uttara
- at the top
- araṇiḥ
- kindling wood
- tat-sandhānam
- the stick in the middle, which connects the upper and lower wood
- pravacanam
- instructions
- vidyā
- transcendental knowledge
- sandhiḥ
- like the fire, arising from the friction, that spreads throughout the firewood
- sukha
- happiness
- āvahaḥ
- bringing
The spiritual master can be compared to the lower kindling stick, the disciple to the upper kindling stick, and the instruction given by the guru to the third stick placed in between. The transcendental knowledge communicated from guru to disciple is compared to the fire arising from the contact of these, which burns the darkness of ignorance to ashes, bringing great happiness both to guru and disciple.